Joni Ernst defends Trump but says President handled Ukraine 'maybe in the wrong manner'

"Generally speaking going after corruption would be the right thing to do, he did it maybe in the wrong manner," she told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union." "But I think he could have done it through different channels. Now this is the argument is that he should have probably gone to the (Department of Justice), he should have worked through the entities, but he chose a different route."

The Iowa Senator was pressed about her decision to vote against calling witnesses in Trump's Senate impeachment trial and whether it was "inappropriate and wrong" for the President to ask Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.

Trump's attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden and Joe Biden, his potential 2020 general election rival, are at the center of the President's impeachment trial. Trump and his allies have repeatedly made unfounded and false claims to allege to allege that the Bidens acted corruptly in Ukraine.

Last week, Ernest suggested the impeachment trial could damage Biden's presidential campaign in Iowa as the state's caucuses take place Monday.

Ernst also said on Sunday that she will vote to acquit the President in the impeachment trial, but disagreed with Trump on his characterization of the July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy, which he has praised as "perfect."

"The President has a lot of latitude to do what he wants to do. Again, not what I would have done, but certainly again going after corruption, Jake...maybe not the perfect call," she said.